Primary Health Care National consultant, Mtwara, Tanzania (12 Months)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.  

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.  

And we never give up.   

For every child, access.  

Primary healthcare in Tanzania is crucial to meeting the healthcare needs of its diverse, growing population. Delivering high-quality health services requires well-functioning Primary Healthcare (PHC) systems that provide integrated and coordinated care. This integration is achievable only if health management teams and service providers at sub-national levels possess the necessary knowledge and skills for building PHC systems, integrated planning and delivery of services. Currently, health services are often provided in a vertical and disease-based programmes approach, leading to inefficient resource utilization and limited impact. Hiring a consultant to strengthen PHC systems for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) in Mtwara offers an effective approach to address critical health challenges, support system-wide improvements, and increase health equity and outcomes for mothers, children, and adolescents in the region. 

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance to Mtwara Regional Health Management Team (RHMT), Council Health Management Teams (CHMTs), Healthcare Facilities (HFs) and Community Health workers (CHWs) in planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of PHC services. The consultant will demonstrate this through a set of activities that UNICEF is supporting in Mtwara region. This consultancy is expected to significantly contribute to desired UNICEF health programme results which include enhanced capacity of communities to practice healthy and beneficial behaviors, readiness and resilience of PHC facilities to provide equitable health services, and delivery quality RMNCAH services at community and PHC facilities. 

How can you make a difference?   

Scope of Work: 

A total of 20 products to be defined and delivered within the realm of the scope of work outlined below. The consultant will develop a workplan including deliverables and timelines for completion that will be agreed with the contract manager. The workplan will be reviewed once every two months and adjusted as priorities dictate. The work assignment will focus on activities contributing to achieving the three outputs of the UNICEF Health programme in Tanzania 

1. Communities practice healthy and beneficial behaviours including appropriate care seeking. 

Activities towards this output may include, but not be limited to, strengthening of community health systems, including its governance and coordination to benefit vulnerable populations. 

2. Primary Health Care Facilities are accessible, resilient, and ready to provide quality PHC services. Activities towards this output may include, but not be limited to, strengthening management and leadership practices, strengthen emergency preparedness, response, and monitoring, building capacity of healthcare managers and health care workers to plan, budget and implement Integrated outreach services, operationalize electronic medical records in PHC facilities, strengthen systems for operational maintenance of PHC equipment, 

3. Provision of PHC services is of high quality – effective, safe, and respectful. Activities towards this output may include, but not be limited to, promote integrated supportive supervision in PHC facilities, operationalize digital client feedback for PHC, promote respectful care and effective communication in PHC facilities, promote practices and essential emergency and critical care, increase and sustain high immunization coverage, operationalize CPD system linked to service improvement.  

WORK ASSIGNMENT, DELIVERABLES & TIMELINE 

Work Assignments Overview	Deliverables/Outputs	Delivery deadline	Estimated Budget
Develop a specific two-month workplan in consultation with UNICEF team and aligned with AWP.	1. Two months detailed work plan  2. Reviewed annual work plan for Mtwara.	Two weeks from contract signing	10%
(i) Develop a specific two-month workplan in consultation with UNICEF team and aligned with AWP.  (ii) Produce an estimated 2 products as defined in the updated workplan	1. Updated two months detailed work plan  2. Estimated two products	Month two	15%
(i) Develop a specific two-month workplan in consultation  with UNICEF team and aligned with AWP.  (ii) Produce an estimated 2 products as defined in the updated workplan	1. Updated two months detailed work plan  2. Estimated two products	Month four	15%
(i) Develop a specific two-month workplan in consultation with UNICEF team and aligned with AWP.  (ii) Produce an estimated 2 products as defined in the updated workplan	Updated two months detailed work plan.  2. Estimated two products	Months six	15%
(i) Develop a specific two-month workplan in consultation with UNICEF team and aligned with AWP.  (ii) Produce an estimated 2 products as defined in the updated workplan	1. Updated two months detailed work plan  2. Estimated two products	Month eight	15%
(i) Develop a specific two-month workplan in consultation with UNICEF team and aligned with AWP.  (ii) Produce an estimated 2 products as defined in the updated workplan	1. Updated two months detailed work plan  2. Estimated two products	Month ten	15%
(i) Produce an estimated 2 products as defined in the updated workplan  (iii) Compile a final summary report of no more than 10 pages including all data, list of products, and detailed achievements.	1. Estimated two products  2. Final summary report	Month twelve	15%

PAYMENT SCHEDULE.   

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.    

ASSESSMENT / SELECTION PROCESS AND METHODS    

Evaluations: The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposals which clearly stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fee, travel costs, accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA.     

Proposals will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will take 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for each deliverable (fees, travel, and accommodation) and eventual total consultancy cost.     

LOCATION, DURATION & LOGISTIC   
The consultant will be working full-time and based at Mtwara regional headquarters, sitting in the RMO’s Office. The assignment will involve travels to the fields (districts) to support implementation of activities when necessary dependent on the nature of specific activities, it is estimated that the consultant may spend a maximum of 180 days in the field. The consultant will spend the 1st five days in Dar es salaam for orientation at the UNICEF office.  The consultant will also attend a five days mid-year review of the health programme and a five days planning workshop, both will take place in Dar es Salaam with different schedules. Under the supervision of the health Officer.  The consultancy is expected to start on March,2025 until February,2026.   

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…  

• Advanced university degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Services Management, and other relevant fields.

• Five (5) years of professional work experience in the context of the primary health care system in Tanzania, including programme implementation and monitoring of results.

• Proven expertise in managing, monitoring, and evaluating of health programs.

• Experience of working with government health systems and services.

• Experience of working in Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent, Health (MNCAH) services or programmes is an asset as is experience of hands-on health system strengthening work.

• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) to be able to liaise with a wide variety of people.

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Swahili is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…  

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).    

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.  

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits. 

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. 

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially. 

Remarks:   

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.  

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.